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Chipotle Mexican Grill's made a name for itself for serving "gold ingredients" and Food With Integrity, in particularly with its use of local, organic vegetables, rBGH-free dairy, and its record of serving more naturally-raised meat than any other restaurant.

Now, a holdup on all-natural chicken threatens to damage the chain's sustainability cred. On a recent trip to the Mexican grill, we ran into a sign notifying customers that natural chicken was temporarily being subbed with conventional chicken due to a shortage with the chain's supplier, but we didn't realize this was a nationwide problem.

According to Slashfood, Chipotle's issued a few statements about the issue, which has been a problem particularly in California stores. Currently, the chain's chicken supply is roughly 75 percent naturally raised. To learn more about the snafu and Chipotle's official statement on it, read the whole Slashfood story.

Source: Flickr User peanutian

In an attempt to compete with large online grocers, like Fresh Direct and Amazon Fresh, Walmart is testing its own online grocery delivery service. The tests are taking place in San Jose, CA, and include everything from fresh produce and seafood to frozen food and over-the-counter pharmacy. Our friends at Slashfood have got more details on Walmart to Go, so head on over to learn about the pricing and specifics of Walmart's newest project.

After 28 years in America's fast food business, Panda Express is considering doing the unthinkable: expanding to China.

Chairman Andrew Cherng hopes to bring Beijing Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, and other iconic Americanized dishes that've made Panda Express the largest Chinese fast food chain in the US back to the country where he was born. Given that other stateside fast food joints are already enjoying wild popularity in China, we're wondering if the country will spring for Golden Treasure Shrimp, too?

To learn more details about the potential expansion, head over to Slashfood.

Source: Flickr User theimpulsivebuy

Paging Jamie Oliver: the latest brouhaha in the school lunch debate is taking place in the Midwest, where a number of Chicago-area schools have banned parents from sending kids to school with brown-bag lunches.

As Chicago Public Schools have attempted to improve the nutritional value of their lunches, they've also witnessed a decline in the amount of food being eaten. To remedy this, administrators have handed down an edict against lunches brought from home.

Are the new bans a good idea or a bad one? See what Chicago's schools have to say about their new policy when you read the whole story on Slashfood.

Can't kick the twice-a-day coffee habit you've developed? Feel free to blame it on your parents. According to USA Today, scientists have identified two genes that play a role in how much coffee we drink on a regular basis.

Carrying the "high-consumption" or "low-consumption" variant of either gene may determine how much joe's required to get you roaring in the morning. To learn more about the two genes, how they function, and their impact on our everyday behaviors, read the full story at Slashfood.

How does Pizza Hut hope to counter an aggressive marketing blitz by top rival Domino's? That's easy: it's beefing up its lineup with a new product, the Ultimate Stuffed Crust Pizza.

Cheese-filled crust is nothing new, but the Hut maintains it's taking pies to a whole new level with cheese- and meat-stuffed edges. For $12.99, customers can get either pepperoni and cheese or pepperoni, Italian sausage, bacon, and cheese baked into the crust of their large pizzas.

But do the additional ingredients really add something to the equation, or does the end product leave something to be desired? Slashfood gave the new menu item a whirl; see what their findings are when you read the full review.

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Maybe slipping beets into chocolate cake isn't the only way to get kids to eat more greens. Scientists at Ohio-based Givaudan Flavors Corporation have developed GIV3616, a "bitterness blocker."

This chemical, which can be added to food, prevents certain taste buds from recognizing bitter flavors.

Could this turn our fast food-loving nation onto the likes of escarole, chicories, and broccoli rabe? Learn more when you read the full story at Slashfood.

If you're feeling down and out, that bowl of macaroni and cheese may just be the ticket. According to a new study conducted at the University of Buffalo, lonely participants were able to rescue themselves from their disconsolate feelings when they focused their thoughts on comfort foods.

The findings, which were published in the magazine Psychological Science, have implications about comfort food and its, well, comforting properties. Need to further that excuse to eat more meatloaf and mashed potatoes? Then head over to Slashfood for all the details.

In an attempt to bounce back from earlier challenges this year, Taco Bell's launched its new Pacific Shrimp Taco and Pacific Shrimp Burrito, just in time for Lent. Both are made with soft flour tortillas, creamy avocado ranch, fiesta salsa, lettuce, and "six succulent shrimp, marinated in spices."

Seeking out shellfish at fast-food establishments can be a questionable endeavor, so we ask: was TB's Pacific Shrimp small on flavor? To find out the answer, check out a full review of both new menu items at Slashfood.

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The economic recession may not sound like the best time for burgeoning enterprises to expand, but a few restaurant chains actually expanded a shocking amount in the year 2010.

Among them? In-N-Out competitor Five Guys, BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, known for, among other things, its decadent Pizookie cookie; Jimmy John's, which is stacking up to be a fine competitor to Quiznos and Subway; and Chipotle, the burrito behemoth that also has a new Asian concept in the works.

Slashfood got its hands on Technomic's top restaurants and their sales over the past year. To find out more — including which chain takes the title of fastest-growing restaurant — read the full story at Slashfood.

Source: Flickr User Steve Snodgrass